Baba Au Rhum Is The Boozy French Cake Perfect For Cold Weather

Cold weather is the perfect time for sipping on boozy hot drinks, such as spiked eggnog, a cozy hot toddy, or an adult version of hot chocolate. If you're a fan of the sweet/alcoholic flavor combo of these beverages, you might want to give some booze-infused desserts a whirl as well.

One treat that might fit the bill here is Baba au Rhum, a French dessert that consists of yeasted cake soaked in delicious hard liquor syrup. The name translates to 'rum baba,' and as you may imagine, the syrup used on the cake is traditionally rum-based. It's often served as an individual-sized treat, but some people prefer to make it into larger forms, such as a bundt cake. The result is a dessert that's moist and packed with flavor. It's often paired with chantilly cream and has warm flavors thanks to the rum, making it feel like a cozy treat for a cold day.

While the idea of rum babas is pretty straightforward, there are a few things to know if you want to make this dessert, namely concerning the ingredients. That way, you can get a flavor profile that reminds you of sweater weather.

To give your dessert a truly wintery feel, there are some things to think about. It pays to consider the alcohol in this cake. Traditionally, rum is used, and you're welcome to go with whichever variety you prefer. To really hone in on seasonal flavors, for example, you could go with a spiced variety. Alternatively, you could experiment with swapping this for another hard liquor, such as whiskey or brandy, or even using liquors with holiday flavors, such as cinnamon or brown sugar liquors, and apple brandy. Nutty liquors work as well, think almond and hazelnut.

Another way to ramp up the seasonal taste is to consider adding ginger, cinnamon, or other seasonings to your syrup to give the treat an extra kick. Besides playing with spices, you can bring out a holiday feel in the dish by adding the seasonal fruity flavors found in currants or golden raisins to the cake batter. You could also add citrus zest to the syrup or batter to play on autumnal-tasting notes. And toasted seasonal nuts make a nice textural addition sprinkled atop the chantilly. 

If you love the idea of boozy baba au rhum, you'll be happy to know it's not the only alcohol-infused dessert out there. Another seasonal option you could try is a flaming Christmas pudding. To make the flames, warm brandy is poured over the cake and then set alight. This dessert is also packed with spices and dried fruit for a truly festive flavor.

For those who love the nuts that often come out during autumn and winter, you could try bourbon pecan brownies. These are pretty easy to make, and the addition of the whisky adds a sharp kick that perfectly complements the chocolate in the treat. 

Or, if you're a particular fan of rum and that's why you went with a Baba au Rhum, you could go for an autumnal rum raisin carrot cake or rum-glazed mini plum cakes. Another option could be to make a black pepper rum cake with a bit of extra spice and seasonal, boozy holiday flavors. So, whether it's Baba au Rhum or one of these other treats, there are plenty of alcoholic desserts out there for the adults to try when the temperature drops and those sweet cravings hit.